22 Apr 2008Reading fans unhappy with searches

Football Clubs News | Football Supporters News | Other Football News

Reading supporters are to make a compliant about apparent "illegal searches" they endured on their way to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (April 19th).

According to the Supporters Trust at Reading (Star), fans wearing football shirts or carrying club paraphernalia were targeted by British Transport Police (BTP) officers.

The group claims that other fans, who wore normal clothing, were not stopped by police.

"These stop and searches must… be based upon clear police intelligence and cannot be based upon stereotyping," said John Keen, vice chair of Star.

"But it's clear from the fact that Police were stopping everyone who looked like a football supporter - and no-one else - that this was purely a police "fishing exercise", where they targeted travelling supporters for no good reason except the fact that they were football supporters," he added.

The searches took place at Reading train station as fans headed to London to watch their side lose 2-0 to Arsenal.

The BTP claims that the searches were legal but Star has plans to complain to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

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